


Homecoming (is somehow always a bit weirder when you're bonded to an Aerialbot)

by Atalan



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Schmoop, Sparklings, air raid is not allowed to read a is for apple anymore, no seriously this will spontaneously rot all your teeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-16
Updated: 2015-07-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 15:45:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4354832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atalan/pseuds/Atalan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a surprise waiting for Skyfire when he gets back from his latest mission. It's almost certainly Fireflight's fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homecoming (is somehow always a bit weirder when you're bonded to an Aerialbot)

**Author's Note:**

> Why am I suddenly posting random fluff out of nowhere? I HAVE NO IDEA. I had the first couple of lines of this sitting around in a file and I found it and thought, apparently, I MUST SHARE THIS WITH THE WORLD.
> 
> So here you go, world.

Of the many things he might have expected to see when he finally reaches the Aerialbots' wing of the base, Skyfire has to admit that sixteen tiny jets playing with assorted devices on the floor of the common room were emphatically not on the list.

Thirty-two bright blue optics turn on him curiously as he opens the door.

"Daddy?" says one little voice.

Immediately, the others pick up the chorus. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy daddy daddy!"

The horde of sparklings – they can be nothing else, though he's never seen one until now – swarms towards him like a tidal wave. Skyfire is too busy trying to reboot his processor to do more than let them clamber onto his feet and cling excitedly to his legs.

Apparently drawn by the clamour, Silverbolt appears in the doorway. His whole face lights up as he sees Skyfire, and Skyfire feels the gladness through their bond. His own weariness and frustration with the outcome of the mission suddenly seem inconsequential, and he finally puts some of the pieces together.

"I take it this is the new air force Rodimus has been promising?"

"It is indeed."

At the sound of Silverbolt's voice, the sparklings turn and rush towards him, once more squeaking joyously, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

"Why do they keep saying--"

"Air Raid," says Silverbolt, absentmindedly picking one of them up and patting it on the helm. "He taught them that people with wings are 'daddy' and people with wheels are 'mommy'." He pauses. "There was some confusion over Blades."

One of the little jets has remained clinging to Skyfire's foot, looking up at him hopefully. Her field is delicate and as yet unformed, in contrast to what he knows must be extra tough plating. He leans down and carefully picks her up, and is surprised at the immediate, happy response in her field as she snuggles against his cockpit.

"I thought they would be fullsparked," he says, gently tickling the sparkling's miniature wings. She makes a squeaky protest, grabs one of his hands, and begins examining it with interest. "Like you and your brothers."

"So did I. Rodimus changed his mind. Or possibly the Matrix did, or Vector Sigma – he wasn't really clear." Silverbolt is now being climbed very enthusiastically by several sparklings. From his lack of reaction, Skyfire guesses this isn't the first time. "It's going to take a while before they're ready for full root-modes."

Skyfire knows enough history to know that – the new sparks will mature very quickly by the standards of most intelligent organic life, but until then they will be using all their processing power on a continuous learning loop, constantly exploring, experimenting, and analysing. The sparkling in his arms is doing that right now with his hand, moving the fingers and inspecting the joints.

"Why are they _here_ , though?" he asks.

"Fireflight," says Silverbolt with a sigh. He puts down the sparkling he has been holding and gently shoos the others away from his legs. Most have already returned to the toys littering the common room floor. "He thought they'd be lonely, so he insisted they stayed here the first couple of shifts. And now they've... I don't know... imprinted on us or something, ask Beachcomber, if you can get him to stop laughing. They won't let anyone else take them away. Rodimus put us all on temporary leave. When _he_ stopped laughing."

There isn't any real irritation in Silverbolt's voice, and Skyfire can feel through their bond how much he's been enjoying the presence of the constantly curious little newsparks. Skyfire smiles, and Silverbolt looks sheepish, and then suddenly dismayed.

"I haven't even asked you how your trip was--"

"Horrible," says Skyfire. "Boring, tiring, and a waste of time. For most of it I had ice under my flaps. I would much, much rather talk about sparklings, I promise you."

Silverbolt steps over assorted jets and clears a couple off the couch, beckoning Skyfire over. He is not particularly surprised when, seconds after he sits down, he and Silverbolt are subject to a new wave of climbing and exploring. The sparkling he picked up stays where she is, apparently quite happy, and Skyfire is, he has to admit, utterly charmed.

Silverbolt carefully rearranges the exploring sparklings so he can scoot over to lean into Skyfire, and Skyfire puts an arm around him. Their fields mingle as though sighing in relief, and Skyfire feels the warm pulse of Silverbolt's presence through the bond, now bright and close instead of tenuous. The sparklings seem to pick up on some of the depth of their connection – several begin looking curiously between Skyfire and Silverbolt as if trying to work out how they are joined.

"Do you know any of their names yet?" Skyfire asks.

"Not yet." Silverbolt picks up one sparkling that has been clambering along the couch behind him, turns it on its back, and deposits it on the floor. It flails for a couple of seconds, stops, appears to think, and then twists carefully and gets back on its feet. Silverbolt smiles at it. "They won't name themselves, you know. Not like fullsparks. They won't get names until they've adapted to their future function enough to tell what it is. There's a good chance at least a few won't be flyers at all, but that's all right."

He looks at the sparkling now starting to recharge lightly against Skyfire's chest, and smiles like he can't help himself.

"She really likes you," he says. "She's the only one who doesn't usually climb around on people. We thought maybe she didn't like heights."

"Sounds like she ought to be latching onto you, then," Skyfire teases gently.

He tries not to feel too pleased about the sparkling's attention. Sparklings are strange little creatures with odd preferences. It's probably not that much of a compliment. Maybe she likes ice, he's pretty sure there's still some in a few odd corners of his fuselage.

They both watch as the sparkling Silverbolt had set on its back resumes its determined scaling of the couch. 

"It's hard not to name them something, though," Silverbolt says. "They already have different personalities. Air Raid keeps calling this one Tumble."

Right on cue, Tumble reaches a point just behind Silverbolt's head, then with a happy set of beeps, topples over, landing in Silverbolt's lap with arms and legs flailing in glee.

"For obvious reasons," Silverbolt adds dryly. "She's going to get a shock when she's old enough for less robust plating."

"It doesn't seem to stop Fireflight."

"True."

"So," Skyfire says after a moment, "they're going to be here a while, then?"

"Yes." Silverbolt hesitates. Tumble rolls off his lap and goes looking for something else to jump from. "I won't be upset if you want to grab a guest room somewhere to get some peace and quiet--"

"What? No, that wasn't what I meant!" Skyfire looks down at the sparkling asleep against his chest. "I just... it's nice," he finishes rather lamely.

Silverbolt looks at him, then looks away quickly to hide his smile, except of course he can't hide it really, not when Skyfire can feel it in the echo of his spark.

"It is," he says, and rests his head on Skyfire's shoulder.


End file.
